Start with up-to-date availability
Bring availability, contracted hours, leave and sick leave together before scheduling begins.
Why scheduling breaks down
The schedule is rarely the problem. The information around it is.
Availability arrives in messages, leave is recorded elsewhere and one sickness report can create a second version of the schedule. Planners end up collecting, checking and communicating the same information again. WorkVine connects availability, scheduling, changes and follow-up, while keeping the planner in control.
Build and send the schedule
Build the schedule with the information you need, then choose when to email it to the employees involved.
Manage changes and hours
Keep shift swaps, conflicts and variances between planned and recorded hours easy to follow.
1. Availability
Schedule with current availability, not scattered messages
Employees submit one or more availability windows for each day in the Employee App. They can copy a previous week when their availability repeats.
Planners no longer need to copy that information from messages or separate lists. Availability appears alongside contracted hours, leave and sick leave, with filters to focus the planning view.
2. Building the schedule
Build a workable schedule with hours and absence in view
Set the start and end time, location, label and any relevant note for each shift. While scheduling, planners can see how planned hours compare with contracted hours.
Schedule templates and working patterns provide a practical starting point for recurring weeks. The planner remains responsible for the decisions and the final schedule.
3. Publishing
Send the schedule when it is ready, with a message for employees
The planner selects the employee and schedule period, then sends the schedule manually by email. A personal message can be added when useful.
The planner may also add an app action. After a later change, the planner decides whether to send the updated period again by email.
4. Employee App
Give employees one place for their current shifts
In the Employee App, each employee sees their current shifts and details such as the time, location and schedule information.
After a change, employees do not need to search through an old email. The app remains the current source, while the planner decides whether to send the change again by email.
5. Shift swaps
Keep shift swaps connected to the schedule
An employee can offer a shift to a colleague or the wider team. WorkVine checks for conflicts with existing shifts, leave and sick leave.
Where approval is required, the manager makes the decision. Once processed, the schedule and app notifications are updated. Managers can also offer an open shift themselves.
6. Compare scheduled and recorded hours
Connect the schedule with the hours actually worked
When used with Time Tracking and the Location App, WorkVine shows where recorded hours differ from the schedule. If attendance lasts longer than scheduled, it is highlighted in red as a signal, never as an automatic rejection.
The manager compares planned and recorded hours, then approves or rejects the entry. Once the schedule is published, managers can follow through by reviewing the hours recorded.
What changes
Less coordination around the schedule. More control when it changes.
The app shows the current schedule, while each role sees the information and decisions relevant to their work.
For the planner
Plan with up-to-date availability, choose when to share the schedule and keep employees informed in the app.
For the employee
Submit availability, view current shifts and offer a shift without moving the process outside WorkVine.
For the manager
Review shift swaps and hours variances when a decision is required.
Is this right for you?
For organizations where the schedule keeps changing throughout the week
WorkVine Staff Scheduling suits organizations that need more than a weekly schedule and want to keep availability, changes and follow-up under control.
- Availability varies by employee, day or week.
- Teams work across changing shifts, locations or working hours.
- Leave and sick leave regularly affect an existing schedule.
- Employees need to find changes without relying on separate message threads.
- Managers need a clear way to review planned and recorded hours.
Need to determine how many people and which qualifications a workspace requires first? WorkVine supports that through the separate Capacity Planning module.
Capabilities
Staff scheduling from availability to hours review
Compare your current scheduling process step by step, from availability and shifts to changes and hours review.
Availability and absence
- Multiple availability windows per day
- Copy availability from a previous week
- Availability, leave and sick leave alongside the schedule
Building the schedule
- Shifts with time, location, label and notes
- Planned hours alongside contracted hours
- Roster templates and working patterns
Sharing and changes
- Manually email a schedule by employee and period
- Personal message and optional app action
- Offer shifts with manager approval where required
Execution and approval
- Current shifts in the Employee App
- Compare planned and recorded hours
- Flag variances and approve or reject hours
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about staff scheduling
Clear answers about availability, sharing schedules, shift swaps, hours review and the difference between scheduling and capacity planning.
What does staff scheduling software do?
Staff scheduling software brings availability, absence, contracted hours, shifts and schedule changes together. WorkVine also connects that planning with the Employee App and, when used, time tracking and approval.
Does WorkVine build the schedule automatically?
No. WorkVine presents the relevant information and provides tools such as filters, templates and working patterns. The planner makes the decisions and builds the schedule.
How do employees submit their availability?
Employees use the Employee App to submit one or more availability windows for each day. They can also copy their availability from a previous week.
Are leave and sick leave visible while scheduling?
Yes. Leave and sick leave appear in the scheduling context alongside availability and contracted hours, so the planner can take them into account.
Can I send the schedule by email?
Yes. The planner manually selects the employee and schedule period and may add a personal message. An action can also be added to the Employee App. WorkVine does not automatically send an email after every schedule change.
Can employees swap shifts?
An employee can offer a shift to a colleague or the wider team. WorkVine checks for conflicts with existing shifts, leave and sick leave. Where the configured process requires it, a manager decides whether to approve the swap.
Can I compare planned and worked hours?
Yes, when Staff Scheduling is used with Time Tracking. A manager compares planned and recorded hours and can approve or reject the entry. The Location App can additionally support clocking at a location and flag longer attendance in red.
What is the difference between Staff Scheduling and Capacity Planning?
Staff Scheduling assigns employees to shifts. Capacity Planning defines how many employees and which qualifications are required for each location, workspace and work block. The modules complement each other but serve different purposes.
Customer story: City Hub
City Hub moved from a standalone scheduling tool to connected scheduling, leave, timesheet approval and employee records.
Read City Hub’s story →Where work, people and growth come together
See how your scheduling process fits WorkVine
Bring a typical week's schedule to the demo. We will show how availability, scheduling, email updates, shift swaps and hours review work together.